ABSTRACT
Welded steel moment frames (WSMF) are commonly used in the United States and elsewhere around the world to construct single-story and multistory buildings. This structural system can be easily configured to accommodate a variety of functional and architectural requirements. Early applications of steel moment frames occurred during the first part of the twentieth century. These frames utilized riveted moment-resisting connections designed to resist nominal wind loads. In most cases, these buildings were clad with unreinforced masonry that provided substantial additional strength and stiffness for the resistance of lateral loads. This class of structure has generally provided life-saving performance following a number of major U.S. earthquakes, including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (Himmelwright, 1906).
